“Don’t let the vampires get you.”
Skillfully blending horror, science fiction, and a dash of comedy, 1933’s The Vampire Bat punches well above its weight class. The film, released by Majestic Pictures, is a fine example of a poverty row film company utilizing everything in its arsenal to make a film that was just as good, if not better, than the multitude of productions from the major studios at the time. The production shot much of the film on existing Universal Studios sets from popular movies like Frankenstein and The Old Dark House. It also managed to nab popular and established major studio actors such as Lionel Atwill, Dwight Frye, and Fay Wray, who would appear in eleven films in 1933 including starring in the legendary King Kong. It was written by Edward T. Lowe, Jr. (House Of Frankenstein, House Of Dracula) and directed by Frank R. Strayer.
In the film, a string of mysterious murders are occurring in the small village of Kleinschloss. Victims are found drained of their blood and have puncture wounds on their necks. Talk of a large vampire bat and/or a vampire being the culprit is running rampant through the village, with fingers being pointed at a number of people including the simple-minded Hermann (Dwight Frye), a gentle man who keeps bats as pets. Trying to break the case, inspector Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) believes that there is a human killer on the loose and not a vampire. Dr. Otto von Niemann (Atwill) studies the bodies of the victims in an attempt to assist Brettschneider. Brettschneider’s love interest, Ruth (Wray), works for the Dr. von Niemann. When the true murderer is revealed, the story takes a dark turn. Is a vampire murdering the villagers of Kleinschloss? Is something even more sinister happening in the village? Watch The Vampire Bat to see what happens!
Being a huge fan of Universal Studios’ classic monster films and loving actors such as Atwill, Wray, and Frye, it was a no-brainer for me to check out The Vampire Bat. The film is very well done and features a great amount of humor that isn’t found in many of its contemporaries. The story is well executed and interesting as well. I really enjoyed this movie and think that you will enjoy it as well.
Be sure to check out The Vampire Bat. As of this writing, it is available on a number of free streaming services including Pluto TV. It could easily be slipped into a Universal Monsters movie night and viewers wouldn’t even realize that its from a poverty row studio.
Ken's Alternate Universe! 